Starting off as a DJ- Tips?

DJ Life & Community General Discussion
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Starting off as a DJ- Tips (venues, pricing)?

I’ve decided on trying out to become a DJ. I’m most probably getting a Numark NS6 for christmas to start off with. I’ve played around with scatch live and taken a few lessons on how to mix tracks and whatnot so I’m not completely clueless about everything. Although I need some tips on how to get myself out there. Should I just ask friends and family to tell people I’m willing to DJ for a low price? For events like birthday parties, weddings, company parties, house parties, etc. Eventually when I get a bit more cash I’ll start purchasing speakers so I can take along with me to house parties and lights so I can have a whole set up, but since I don’t have the cash how should I figure out whether or not it’ll work out? Do you think that 25/hr is a fair price to charge if they’re willing to pay that much? Thank you.

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Let me get this straight, you just started DJing and feel you’re ready to charge people to DJ their parties while you have no idea what you’re doing?

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I do know what I’m doing. I have a few friends that DJ and I’ve practiced on their controllers and sets. And I’m obviously going to practice before I put myself out there. I’m not going to DJ a party the day after I get my equipment, but I’m not going to DJ for free for everything. I’m willing to do it for free for certain events to start off with.

4

Wow. I have been a living room DJ for almost a year now and I am just starting to look for gigs and I don’t plan to charge for the first few. I wouldn’t have the confidence to charge for something I am not sure I can pull off successfully, even if I’ve practiced for hours on end. My perspective is, DJ’ing in the living room or on friend’s equipment or in front of a crowd, any crowd, are totally different experiences and unless I have successful experiences with a crowd under my belt, I couldn’t rightfully charge for it. But that is just my perspective on “going live”.

Also, without speakers, how do you expect to make yourself heard? About the only venue you could show up at without PA equipment is in a night club and they won’t hire you without some credentials (or they are really desperate). So how many other people do you think want to hire entertainment, who wouldn’t have all their own equipment with them? It’s like a band saying, “You can hire us, but we need a guitar, keyboard, bass guitar and drums and a PA system. If you have that, we’ll come. Oh, and by the way, we also cost X dollars an hour too. And, actually, we’ve only practiced together once in a while in a friends garage with his equipment.” It’s simply not going to happen.

My advice. Get your NS6, practice a lot and at the same time, save up for speakers and the other equipment you’ll need, like cables, mic, headphones, etc. When you have pretty much everything together to do a live gig, then you are ready for the world, at least in terms of equipment. I’d still not charge for the first couple of gigs though. I’d actually make it very clear to whomever is booking me, it is my first or second live gig and because there is a risk of mistakes, they are getting my service for free. If the gigs go really well, without any mistakes, which I am sure there will be, then the next clients don’t need to necessarily know what my references are. But if they asked, I’d have at least two or three live gigs behind me as references.

Edit/ I’d avoid weddings at first too. You, as the DJ, if you are the only entertainment they have, are responsible for making their wedding memorable. I couldn’t fathom doing my first live gig at a wedding. No way, no how.

scamo

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Thank you very much.

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Friends and family is great for those first 5 gigs or so, but lower the bar, say you 'll DJ for free or say I have no set in stone rate pay me as much as you want to pay me.

At my first gig I got €50 for 2 hours, but I would 've been happy to do it for free.

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do it for free.. most likely they will give you $100-$150 maybe $200 for your time just to be nice. i helped my cousin dj his company holiday party. it was all my gear we used besides his macbook. he got $100 for it and i got $50. i don’t mind what they pay me as long as it gets my name out. they even asked me how much i normally charge b/c they would like us to do the party next yr.

and not to be cocky or showy but i dj with macbook pro, technics m5gs/dicers with serato sl1 denon 3500s/dicers with sl3 (as backup), ddm4000, pair of jbl eon 515, pair of krk rokit6, two wireless shure mics for them to use during the night. so for me to charge free-$150 is a huge favor.

your gonna need more then an ns6 to get a partying going. but most importantly… HAVE FUN!!! ..

when i started out back in HS in 2002 i had to bite the bullet and spend $2000+ on gear just to show that i have the means to dj a party. now, 9 yrs later i’m constantly upgrading my gear.

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This is the future and it scares me.

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horse carriage…something like that…

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Wait can you explain why he is going to need more than an NS6? The NS6 is a great piece of all in one gear…

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well, i mean ns6 plus speakers maybe a subbase, headphones etc. maybe some light… and if hes planning on doing wedding he will need a mic for sure. .. u can’t just walk in with an ns6 and say im ready to dj for $100 an hr.

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no one ever mentions the price of music has to be factored in…

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Agreed - and we all know why that is buddy

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thats what bit torrent sites and blogs are for, right? :roll_eyes:

I think you’re also right about this is the future of “djing” and it being a bit scary. I see all these heated debates about gear, music pref, style and sync, but another thing no one ever mentions in those threads is the person/DJ. In the end its up to the individual to be a “Professional”!

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I agree, its a little scary because it shows that someone who has bever DJed out before thinks that they can get a piece of gear and are ready for paying gigs. First, you have to have the music, all music from every genre going back to the 50’s if you are going to do family, holiday, corporate, weddings, etc..you have to have as much as possible and still you will be asked to play something that you should have but for some reason you don’t, it always happens. You have to be prepared. There is no way that you can just have an NS6 and expect to get gigs. You need speakers, professional speakers not something left over from your Dad’s old stereo. Powered speakers will cost you at least $500 a piece and a powered sub will cost at least $500. You need a laptop, and a laptop stand, you need a mic, you need headphones, you need cases for your gear, you need some kind of frontboard or facade to have you gear behind, you don’t want people seeing all the wires sticking out on top of a table you got from the venue, you need to look professional. You don’t even have the NS6 yet and you are already wanting to know how to get gigs? You are no where near that point. You need to practice, you need to know your craft, know your music, know how to read a crowd. You have to understand that you are there for the crowd, the crowd isn’t there to support you and your new kinda maybe want to try out DJing career.

Your best bet is to find an established DJ company and go to work for them. You will learn the ropes about how to DJ for all diffferent types of events. How to MC a wedding, do announcements, how to handle requests, how to deal with banquet managers and different venues. There is a lot more to DJing than getting an NS6 and some music you like and plugging in and playing.

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Dude I’ve been bedroom “djing” for only 6 months. And I stress the “only.” I’m leaps and bounds ahead of you in the little experience I have and I wouldn’t come close to say I’m ready for a paying gig. I’m hoping my friends will LET me dj some parties down at whatever school they are at. I’m just gonna ask for free booze and a couch. There is no way I would ask to dj someone’s wedding. And a club?? My god it would be a horror show.

With all that said, take some time and learn your gear in and out. Learn everything you can. Then start recording some live mixes. maybe 30-45 mins in length. Listen to them and improve, show your friends, give it away for free. And when you really get to a point where you can put out a good mix, give it to promoters or bars or to anyone who can help you play where you want to.

Also, produce. You will find it much easier to find places to play if you produce your own music.

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But on a positive note.. some good advice for a starting dj is …

mixing/scratching skills(depending on what you like)
able to read the crowd
mic skills… or atleast have a partner that is good on the mic if you decide to do weddings or any other formal event that would require an MC
cannot be bias towards certain genres.

… and stay away from cheap equipment.

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not necessarily true for that last part, decent cheap equipment is good too start if youre not too sure about whether or not you actually wanna do something with djing. But not super cheap because then it might break and youll be worse off then if you wouldve bought more expensive equipment. I started with a $1 soundcard off amazon and a numark total control and TP2 and then I upgraded to an audio 2 and a vci 100se

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@ djaball go for it!
good luck :wink:

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This reminds me of this video. Second analogy in 24h here.

http://djfameorshame.com/2010/12/13/i-want-the-bitches/

scamo